Save an old unwanted shirt from the garbage pile by reinventing it.
Men's button-down shirts can be recycled and refashioned in many ways to create new outfits, accessories and home furnishings. Turn a shirt that is past its prime into a new favorite outfit or item by using a little creativity and simple sewing skills.
Clothing
A medium or oversized men's shirt can easily be fashioned into a cute summer dress. Cut off the sleeves of the shirt, sew them into a belt to tie around the waist and turn the shirt into a shirt dress. Cut off the upper portion of the shirt and turn the shirt into a tube dress. Make ruffles out of the leftover fabric and attach them to the front of the dress for decoration or sew them along the hem of the dress.
Create a peasant skirt by cutting the shirt into long strips of fabric and sewing them together into tiers. Use different colored shirts to make a multicolored skirt. Take advantage of the large size of the shirt and cut off the top half of the shirt, sew in elastic casings on the top edge as well as the hem and turn it into a bubble skirt.
Turn the shirt into a set of pajamas for a young girl by cutting the shirt in half width-wise and fashioning the top half into a camisole and the bottom half into a pair of shorts. Remove the collar and cuffs and sew an elastic casing in the neck hole to create a comfortable nightgown.
Around the Home
Paper towels and napkins can be wasteful and expensive but turning a man's shirt into cloth napkins can be a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative. Cut the fabric into whatever size square you want and finish the edges to create your new napkin.
Turn a men's shirt into an apron by cutting off the sleeves and removing the back of the shirt. Cut the front of the shirt into the desired shape and use the leftover fabric to make strings and a pocket for the apron.
Make throw pillows using the back of the shirt. Cut the pillow squares whatever size you would like and sew them together. Use a different colored shirt to create contrast piping for the pillow and add the buttons as decorations. Leftover fabric can also be used to make ruffles for the pillow.
Accessories
Cuffs can be made from a men's shirt by cutting off the cuff and finishing the raw edge. Attach a ruffle to the cuff to create a romantic Victorian look.
Men's shirts can be recycled to make hair accessories like scrunchies by cutting them into strips. Sew the strips together to make a casing and insert an elastic.
Tags: shirt into, Turn shirt, back shirt, cutting shirt, different colored, half into
